Strikes and Balls
by dizzy - in - the - izzy
Summary: Our favorite team has some bonding time, while watching a baseball game. Tony/Ziva/McGee friendship. Oneshot! Kinda not plausible after 8x05... whatever.


**Title: **Strikes and Balls  
**Author: **dizzy - in - the - izzy  
**Rating: **K  
**Disclaimer: **I do not own. ANYTHING!  
**Summary: **Our favorite team has some bonding time, while watching some baseball.

**A/N:** First off, GO GIANTS! I'm not the biggest fan of baseball, but I do watch playoffs and that kind of thing. I'm one of those 'horrible fans' you all talk about. Anywho, I couldn't watch today BECAUSE THE GAME WAS ON AT 1 $#% so I ended up seeing just the end of it when I got home from school. YES GIANTS! This is seriously so exciting. You should see all the orange and black at my school. It's hilariously awesome.

Okay, now that I am done being a fan, I'd like to say that I watched a preview for tonight's episode and it had some baseball talk in it and I became inspired. I know, it's a miracle. Anywho, this is what I had to write about the little clip I saw.

**Possible spoilers for 8x5** but really, it's just a oneshot about baseball. I haven't seen the episode yet.

* * *

Ziva titled away from Tony as he yet again jumped up out of his seat in excitement. She sat back as McGee followed, and she had a feeling she should follow suit, but didn't.

"Insane!" Tony yelled, high fiving McGee as the two men did some kind of victory dance. Ziva stood up abruptly, and startled her companions. She moved between them, heading into the kitchen and grabbing a water bottle. When she walked back out, Tony and McGee were yet again sitting on the edge of their seats. However, as a commercial came on, their attention was diverted.

"So, Ziva, I see you still aren't enthusiastic about baseball." Tony said, and McGee nodded in agreement. Ziva shrugged.

"I do not see why my participation in this get together was needed. I feel as if I am watching… drying paint."

"Paint drying is the acut- never mind that. You just don't understand."

Ziva glared at McGee, and he leaned away from her slightly.

"You know, it is not as complicated as you seem to think." Tony said, and Ziva turned to face him. He didn't flinch back from her glare.

"I do not think it is complicated. No one has explained it to me."

McGee and Tony shared a look, before McGee started to talk.

"Here is all you really need to know: there is a pitcher. He throws to the batter. The batter is trying to hit the ball just right so he can make it to a base."

"I thought a base was something you get to in a relationship?"

McGee ignored Ziva's sarcastic remark.

"There are four bases named; first, second, third and fourth. The runner wants to get from first to second, second to third, and then finally third to fourth. If he gets to home plate, which is also fourth base, he scores." McGee paused, and Tony jumped in. Ziva let her head sway dramatically, and McGee cleared his throat.

"Now, if a batter hits the ball so far that it ends up in the stands and the defense players can't catch it, it's a home run. If the batter does that when all the bases are loaded, it's a grand slam." Tony said, watching as Ziva's face blanked. She looked at the screen for a moment, before pointing to the upper left corner.

"What are those numbers near the score?"

"Oh, strikes and balls. See, the pitcher has to pitch the ball into this box like area, and he if pitches out of that area, it's a ball. A strike is when the ball is in the area, or when a batter swings at a ball. A ball is when the ball goes out of the box, and with four balls the batter walks to first base."

"And with three strikes, the batter is out. Three outs and teams switch." McGee finished for Tony, and Ziva nodded. She found herself listening to all they said, despite her previous feelings. She hadn't joined them to get a lesson on a sport. In fact, she'd only joined them because she was sure, without her, they'd end up killing each other.

Surprisingly, she'd been wrong.

"It's kinda like football… but simpler." Tony said, and McGee nodded slightly. Ziva looked between them, before looking at the screen.

"Less violent." She observed, and both men laughed.

"Yes, far less violent," Tony reached over and pinched Ziva's cheeks, "Our little ninja loves violence, doesn't she?"

Ziva swatted Tony away, sitting back on the couch. She glared at Tony, and he laughed at her. With a smirk, he turned his attention back to the television screen. McGee followed suit, and soon they were engrossed in the game. Ziva felt her feeling of boredom crumbling as she noticed Tony talking to the TV as if it could actually hear him. Then she realized he was mumbling about calls, and soon she noticed McGee was too. When they both began to boo with the crowd on TV, Ziva felt herself smiling.

Sitting forward she joined her friends in badmouthing the referee.

Even though she really didn't have a clue why.

* * *

**A/N: **Alright, I'm not entirely sure about this, but while I was writing it I was like "This could totally be a companion piece to 'My Boys' and it would work." but yeah. That was going through my head ha.

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-Thanks, Izzy :) 


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